Lanvall - Auramony

Year of Release: 1996
Label: WMMS
Catalog Number: WMMS 097
Format: CD
Total Time: 51:55:00

A couple of years ago a young guy from Vienna, Austria, sent me his then second demo-tape under the pseudonym of ARS (not a very convenient name in show business for people might be waiting to hear some "shit"!) entitled Memory Lane. In 1994 the music on Melolydian Garden (WMMS 070) by a certain Lanvall sounded rather familiar and when I looked closely at the info in the booklet I realised that Lanvall is the new pseudonym of Arne R. Stockhammer formerly known as ... ARS. Although heavily influenced by Yngwie Malmsteen and Dream Theater, Lanvall is also into the classics by means of his adoration for Vivaldi, Bach and Pagannini.

For his second CD Lanvall has teamed up with none other than Gandalf who guests on three of the nine songs. Auramony is a concept album based around the various colours of the rainbow and their different meanings. It's that particular meaning that is put into music so as to give you an idea of their "aura."

The album kicks off with "Overture - Transcending Into The Light" where a huge choir (Viva Musica) is used to underline the dramatic contents of the song. You have to wait until "Red" before you hear the patented sound of Lanvall. If the producers of the once famous Bilitis film series are thinking to film a sequel then I'm sure "Orange" could be putting Francis Lai out of a job, what with its mellow Camel-like playing and the inclusion of some fine flute parts. And the mellow approach continues in "Blue" and "White" whilst we clearly get the Gandalf trademark in the following three tracks. "Violet" is almost like an outtake from Gandalf's own Sattva catalogue especially due to the use of sitar. All in all a nice melodic album but surely one you won't play day after day after day...

Tracklisting:
Overture - Transcending Into The Light (3:35) / Red - My Will Is My Way (4:37) / Orange - Cogito Ergo Sum (5:12) / Blue - The Path Of Love (6:22) / White - Reflections In The Mirror (4:56) / Violet - The Mystic Charm (5:42) / Yellow - Brainstorm Dancer (7:42) / Green - A Midsummernight's Stream (7:28) / Epilogue - Like A Rainbow (7:01)

Musicians:
Lanvall - electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, piano, keyboards, pipe organ
Gandalf - sitar, classical guitar, 6-strng acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Peter Aschenbrenner - flutes
Ulbi Ulbricht - bass
Thomas Schaufler - drums

Discography:
Melolydian Garden (1994)
Auramony (1996)
The Pyromanic Symphony (1997)

Genre: Symphonic Prog

Origin AT

Added: March 1st 2000
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

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Language: english